I have 2 children in their 4th year at Renarts and...

I have 2 children in their 4th year at Renarts and my husband and I couldn't be more impressed with both the academic and the arts experiences they have received at this school.

The best thing I can say about Renarts right now is the way they have handled distance learning. The transition was quick & relatively painless, compared to the horror stories I keep hearing from friends with kids at other schools. They took care to walk both students & parents through the google classroom site and really helped us to work out any technical and logistical issues that arose. They even went so far as to get on the phone with families and their internet providers to help negotiate getting a reduced cost for their internet service! They provided counseling sessions and additional academic support sessions as needed, which were added to students' base schedule, and there was always a cheerful voice at the other end of the line to answer any questions we had. I have no idea how they stayed so upbeat and positive every day, but their commitment was inspiring.

My 4th grader adjusted well to being on-camera with her classmates and quickly got into a routine of logging in for her academic classes with her notebook and pencil ready to go. She loved listening to the read aloud (Harry Potter is always a hit!) and singing in her vocal class. Her movement lab (gym class) was something she looked forward to every day. My 7th grader remained engaged and motivated with her academics because they made the material so relevant to what was happening in the world. They studied The Dust Bowl & the Great Depression and made comparisons to what is happening now. They read HARLEM by Langston Hughes and discussed what happens to a dream deferred. My 7th grader analyzed data collection of police aggression toward black Americans and discussed how it has elements of the known and the unknown, and created equations to help determine the unknown. In science they studied how small changes in mass and density can lead to greater changes, which can reach a critical mass and cause an eruption. Powerful connections!

The teaching style really revolves around critical thinking and is based on a problem-posing education. A big part of the teaching style is the belief that the cultural and historical knowledge that both students AND teachers bring should be allowed to intermingle organically with texts and materials (think Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed).

Before enrolling, I was concerned having my younger girls intermingling with older scholars, but I have to say the older kids are very respectful of the younger ones and the exchange of ideas and experiences has really elevated their maturity level. The co-directors of the school are beyond committed to Renarts and dive in head first every day. They both are active teachers at the school as well. Their own children went to Renarts and several of the teachers have children currently enrolled as well. I think that speaks volumes. They really believe that the kids are capable of learning more than what is "grade-level appropriate" so the material they cover is pretty advanced. My children have studied works by Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dee Brown, Ta-Nehisi Coates & Homer, just to name a few. And their science/math program is exceptional. One of our favorite experiences during distance learning was listening in on a session where the teachers were discussing when and how they fell in love with math!

All of the material they cover then culminates into an INCREDIBLE performance the entire school participates in at the end of each semester. Although usually a live performance, this past June the students recorded themselves at home and submitted videos which were compiled into an incredibly moving live-stream show. The performances really demonstrate the students' understanding of the material they've been studying and putting a show up together also promotes cooperation, respect, and self-reflection. All the students really bond during "show mode."

My family is very grateful to have found Renarts.